For the first time at the University of Oregon, one additional undergraduate student and one graduate student will be chosen to serve as the student trustees in the 2024-2025 academic year. This comes from a change in state law in summer 2023, requiring the roles of two students on the Board of Trustees, rather than one.  

Following the interview process, a non-voting undergraduate student will be chosen to fill the role, alongside a graduate student. The students’ duties will include sitting in on quarterly board meetings and reviewing university finances. For voting members, making final decisions that the university will face in the coming months is a major duty. 

The student trustee represents the entire student body on the Board of Trustees, and spends a total of two years in the role. Ruby Wool has served as student trustee since June 2023. Wool is a Stamps Scholar and sports reporter for the Daily Emerald as well. 

“It’s a unique position. It’s not like an ASUO student body president role. What’s unique about the Board is that you’re a student, but you’re also a fiduciary in a trustee role, so you’re making sure that the long term success of the University is upheld and that you are fulfilling its commitments,” Wool said. 

In her second year as student trustee, Wool will be a voting member of the board. 

While the Associated Students of the University of Oregon do not make any final decisions, student body president Chloé Webster and her team will filter through all applicants before any final decisions are made. 

“We put out the messaging of, ‘okay! We’re looking for two students to be on the Board of Trustees– a grad student and an undergrad.’ We have jurisdiction over what that selection process looks like,” Webster said. 

Despite the changes made, some students still agree that there needs to be more student involvement in the decisions made about the university. 

Natalie Baker, a freshman majoring in psychology, believes that more representation is necessary in decisions made by the Board of Trustees.

 “It impacts us the most, like how much our fees are and what money is spent,” Baker said. 

The application is open until Feb. 15. Following the deadline, applicants will be reviewed throughout the second half of February. Nominations will be sent to Governor Tina Kotek on March 1. 

Wool is looking forward to the coming academic year, and hopes that more students will begin to see everything the University of Oregon contributes.

 “The UO is so much bigger than what happens in Eugene. Everything that happens here is amazing, but when you see what happens outside and what we’re contributing as a R-1 University is extremely significant,” she said.

Editor’s note: Ruby Wool is a sports reporter for the Daily Emerald, but was not involved in the production of this article.